Meet LandPaths - Sharing Our Love Of Nature Every Step Of The Way

The folks from Calpine (you know the ones that run the Geysers renewable energy project up in the Mayacamas) recently reached out to us looking for an Earth Day event for their employees. We instantly thought of the Ranchero Mark West - a place where Calpine could continue the long running restoration efforts carried out by the owners, LandPaths IOOBY students, and others.  

They met us out at the Ranchero in the morning ready to get their hands dirty. We all spent some time planting rhododendrons and redwood sorrel near Mark West Creek before heading back to the barn for a lunch of salmon tacos. After lunch everyone headed out for a walking tour of the property. It was a great day and we really appreciate all the Calpine employees (especially Danielle, Brian, Jill and Bruce) who helped make this possible!  We're already looking forward to growing the effort next year!

If you have a business or an organization that would like to lend a hand stewarding one of our local parks, farms, or open spaces, please feel free to send an email to jonathan@landpaths.org. 

(thanks to Jim and Betty Doerksen for sharing their amazing property and to Justin Whitaker for this fantastic video!) 

Happy Holidays!  We wanted to let you know about a fantastic way to raise funds for LandPaths - at no cost to you!! 

REI Santa Rosa just announced they are now giving $50 to LandPaths for each check in. They need to give away $100,000 nationwide by the end of 2010.  With your help, we can put Santa Rosa on the map by claiming as much of that prize as possible!!

Just announced!  LandPaths will pay you $10 for every "check in".  Email jonathan@landpaths.org for details on how to claim your free $$.

Here are 10 ways you can help LandPaths meet our 2010 goals:

1. Get a smartphone (borrow from your friends or family if you have to) and go to (or near) REI

2. Check in at REI Santa Rosa and LandPaths gets $50 at no cost to you (See:http://bit.ly/fRqflj for detailed instructions and read below)

3. Check in again tomorrow (you can check in once per day!(sorry, we just learned that you can only check in again if you use a different facebook account.

4. Tell your friends and family (post on Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

5. Volunteer - please let us know if you would be willing to take a shift at the REI storefront to remind people about this amazing deal!  email me at jonathan@landpaths.org.  

6. Join us at our Gift Wrap Extravaganza at REI this Saturday, Dec. 18. from 10am-2pm we'll host a gift wrapping table, talk with folks about LandPaths programs, and collect donations.  In one easy step, you can buy your favorite outdoor gifts and get them wrapped. We can also use a few volunteers to help us host the table. 

7. Make a donation to our Year End Challenge Match - your donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $20,000!

8. Green Holiday Gift idea - An annual donation of $10, $40 or more makes a great stocking stuffer that isn't "stuff".  Your gift recipient will receive our newsletter (enews and/or paper) featuring over 100 opportunies to Get Outside in Sonoma County in 2011 - plus a free LandPaths bonus gift (upon request) for each donation of $100 or more. 

9. Stay tuned for the "5 Days of LandPaths" featuring a few of the many ways LandPaths makes an impact in our community.

10. Get Outside!  For our complete listing of Outings/Events, visit our Online Calendar

Thanks for your support!  We hope to see you soon in Sonoma County's Big Outside!

REI Santa Rosa has been a fantastic partner and sponsor of many LandPaths programs!  Thanks to them!

Join LandPaths at REI Santa Rosa for gift giving made easy!  On Dec. 18 from 10am-2pm, we'll host a gift wrapping table, talk with folks about LandPaths programs, and collect donations.  In one easy step, you can buy your favorite outdoor gifts and get them wrapped. We can also use a few volunteers to help us host the table.

Let us know if you can help out on Dec. 18 or click here to make a donation to support LandPaths programs.  Thanks for your support!

REI Santa Rosa has been a fantastic partner and sponsor of many LandPaths programs!  

On October 23rd we had a lot of fun at the annual Bayer Farm Pumpkin Carving Event, despite the pouring rain!  Thanks to all of the support from the volunteers and events sponsors, especially Santa Rosa Rotary West who dedicated so many hours to the planning and execution of the event.

Some of the first volunteers to show up were volunteers from Elsie Allen High School Lobo Unity, who were not shy about jumping in at 9:30 in the morning despite the inclement weather!  We were soon joined by volunteers from SSU, Elsie Allen Interact Club, the Bayer Farm Leadership Team, and of course, Rotary West.  We figured no one from the public would show, so we just set about setting up for the fun of it, planning to just carve pumpkins ourselves and eat as many quesadillas of garden-fresh veggies as we could stand, but the public surprised us!  We had at least 40 participants who came to enjoy, aside from the 30 volunteers, so we considered it a great success.

And enjoy we did.  Pumpkins were carved, art was created, salsa was made with the Famous Salsa Bike, and we all ate numerous quesdaillas.  The Center for Well-Being and the Network for a Health California gave out information on healthy living, and even the artists Jamie Poulsen and Alicia Lopez de Oceguera showed their paintings!  When it was time for the raffle everyone squeezed under tents and umbrellas and we raffled off a bike and other great prizes!

It just goes to show, LandPaths participants really LOVE being outdoors, no matter what.  Many thanks to all who came out and supported Bayer Farm. Check out pictures from the event on the Rotary West Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/RotarySantaRosaWest or on Rotary Member Kerry Rego's Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/25506927@N02/sets/72157625103190131/

LandPaths is proud to be one of the newest members of the Sonoma County GoLocal Cooperative. We hope to play an important role in expanding GoLocal's "Play Local" campaign with outings and special events that encourage support of Sonoma County's natural treasures AND local businesses. GoLocal is a network of locally-owned businesses, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and residents working together to build a resilient, thriving, local economy by supporting local, independently owned businesses and promoting sustainable practices.

In partnership with GoLocal, LandPaths will be forming local business partnerships and sponsorships, as well as developing "coupons" for local gateway businesses (such as those in Duncan's Mills and Occidental near the Willow Creek Addition to Sonoma Coast State Park.) We encourage any existing GoLocal members to contact us about possible collaboration, as well as encourage individuals to check out our page at GoLocal for more details and to possibly even become a GoLocal member yourself.